Title
Orland Park Police Department’s Voluntary Security Camera Registration Program
History
The Orland Park Police Department would like to develop a voluntary security camera registration program that allows local citizens and businesses to assist in crime prevention and crime solving efforts. A crucial factor of Community Policing is getting the community involved and personally invested in these efforts.
The voluntary program will allow these Village stakeholders an opportunity to provide assistance to the police by using footage from security cameras that they own. This program does not allow the Police Department access to their cameras, it only provides information that a camera is present at their home or business and how to contact someone for access to the footage.
Traditionally, one of the first steps in a criminal investigation is to canvass the area for security cameras, which may have recorded relevant information for the police. During this phase of the investigation, an officer will walk or drive through an area looking for residences and businesses that have security cameras. While this program will not eliminate the need to perform this step, it will allow an officer to have immediate information that someone has a camera in the area. If a business happens to be closed, officers would now have contact information with the business owner and/or operator of the camera system, which are sometimes mutually exclusive.
Often times on initial residential canvasses, owners are not home when contact is initiated. Officers could now contact the known resident, who may be able to transfer the camera footage via text or email to the officer. This would save valuable time and assist in solving crimes more efficiently and effectively.
In recent years, technology has become a very important factor in solving crime. Security camera systems have decreased in price and have become much more user-friendly. Because of this, many more businesses and citizens have installed security cameras on their property. The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office has always inquired about security footage when attempting to obtain felony charges. As history has shown, crimes that occur with no security camera footage, but still have other pieces of evidence, have a more difficult time in obtaining felony approval than crimes captured on security cameras.
The following is an example of just one instance showing a clear advantage to having a security camera registration program:
In September 2021, the Orland Park Police Department responded to an armed robbery call, where the suspect fled the scene prior to officers’ arrival. The victim did not know the suspect and he could only provide a vehicle description. The Orland Park Police Department Investigations Division utilized five (5) different, privately-owed, security camera systems to completely map out the suspects’ route before and after the crime. With the assistance of the security camera footage, the Orland Park Police Department was able to arrest the three suspects involved in the crime.
This voluntary program benefits the Police Department and the community equally, providing a new tool to help solve crime in Orland Park.
The Police Department will continue to work closely with the Communications and Marketing Manager to develop and place a registration form on the Village of Orland Park’s website. Once the registration form is completed and vetted, the Department will place the information in a secure database to be accessed only if and when a crime occurred in the area.
If approved, the Orland Park Police Department’s Voluntary Security Camera Registration Program would rollout by February 1, 2022.
Recommended Action/Motion
I move to approve the program entitled: THE ORLAND PARK POLICE DEPARTMENT’S VOLUNTARY SECURITY CAMERA PROGRAM